The present invention relates to a storage device in which an opening is covered by a sliding lid.
For example, as a lid for covering an opening of a storage device disposed in a center console of an automobile, there has been known a lid, in which a number of projected bars are provided in parallel on a soft and thin sheet member to thereby form the lid slidably engaging a pair of right and left guide rails. According to this lid, since the lid can be freely bent at thin-wall portions respectively provided between the projection bars adjacent to each other, when the storage device is opened, the lid is stored like a shutter in an accommodating section provided continuously to a rear end of an opening, and when the storage device is covered, the lid extends along the guide rails to cover the opening. A weight applied on an upper surface of the lid is supported by rigidity of the projected bars.
In the sliding lid described above, the projected bars are provided for securing the rigidity such that the sliding lid is not deformed even if weight is applied on the lid in a condition of covering the opening. In order to prevent the lid from disengaging from the guide rails, it is necessary to engage extended portions of the projected bars with the guide rails. Since the projected bars are formed of hard materials, in order to secure stability in movement at the time of opening and covering operations as well as to reduce a sliding sound or noise, it is necessary to additionally provide a countermeasure therefor. Also, since the thin-wall portions are required to be formed of soft materials, it is necessary to use, for example, two-material molding, insert molding or the like. These points extremely increase a manufacturing cost.
The present invention has been made to solve the foregoing problem in the conventional device, and a main object of the invention is to provide a storage device including a sliding lid having a low sliding sound and stability in the movement, in which the sliding lid is prevented from disengaging even if an article is placed on the sliding lid, while the sliding lid can be manufactured at a relatively low cost.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.
To achieve the aforementioned object, a first aspect of the invention provides a storage device, which comprises a sliding lid slidably engaging guide rails formed at both sides of an opening, in which the sliding lid is stored in an accommodating section formed continuously to a rear end of the opening to thereby open the opening; and buffer sections formed at least one of sliding sections where the guide rails and the sliding lid slidably contact with each other. The buffer sections allow the sliding lid to be displaced toward a direction orthogonal to a sliding direction. Accordingly, since the buffer sections are deformed during the opening and covering movements, the sliding sound can be reduced, and a play can be eliminated.
Also, according to a second aspect of the invention, the buffer sections are formed at both side ends of the sliding lid, and projections or ribs for preventing the buffer sections from disengaging are formed at the guide rails. Accordingly, even if the sliding lid is bent due to the application of weight thereto, the buffer sections engage the ribs, so that the lid can be prevented from disengaging from the guide rails.
Further, according to a third aspect of the invention, the sliding lid is formed of elongate thick-wall sections and thin-wall sections, which are arranged alternately, and the buffer sections are provided at both ends of the thick-walled sections. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the thick-wall sections are respectively provided with ribs for increasing weight in a vertical direction. Accordingly, the entire sliding lid can be formed of a soft material only.